A culinary blog on healthy, plant-based recipes to indulgent desserts and everything in between!

The Perfect Hummus

This could quite possibly be the only hummus recipe you will ever need. In your whole life. You know why? It’s healthy, it’s tasty, and it’s versatile. You can put pretty much whatever you want in this hummus, and you can put this hummus on whatever you want!

Spicy is not my thing, but if you’re into it, feel free to turn up the heat and add some ingredients that will give it a kick– jalapeños, red pepper flakes, extra tahini, whatever your heart– or stomach– desires!

Indredients:

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

3 Tbs. tahini **

generous drizzle of olive oil (start out with a couple of tablespoons, then add more to adjust the consistency)

** The tahini is notoptional! Unless you have an allergy or strongly despise it, do not leave it out! I didn’t buy it the first few times I made hummus because it’s rather expensive, but the hummus turned out bland and sub-par. After breaking down and buying the tahini, the hummus improved immensely. Trust me on this one, folks. It’s worth it. (In case you’re unfamiliar with tahini, it’s a paste made of ground sesame seeds.)

Instructions:

Throw all of the ingredients into a food processor.

Blend until smooth, adding more water and/or olive oil until it reaches the desired consistency. (Don’t use more than 1/4 cup of olive oil.)

See? Look how healthy these guys are! This label doesn’t tell you that they also help your digestive tract function, provide antioxidants, help regulate your blood sugar, and may decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease. Cool, huh?

Hummus makes a wonderful dip for crackers, vegetables (like carrots, bell peppers, and celery), and pita chips (or any kind of chip really). It’s also fantastic on sandwiches! Add it to a veggie sub or slather it in a pita with some alfalfa sprouts… Mmmmmm! OR. If you’re feeling really creative, try this Chana Masala Hummus PIZZA from Vegan Richa. I haven’t tried it yet, so let me know what you think! 😉

With all the different ways to make and eat this hummus, you really can’t go wrong.

Great question, Linda!
If possible, I would recommend sticking to garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) since they are the main factor which makes hummus hummus. Though hominy and garbanzo beans may look slightly similar, they are quite different. Garbanzo beans are legumes, and hominy is actually a form of corn. I’ve never used hominy in hummus, so I can’t tell you how it will affect the flavor or texture, but I would guess that the flavor would be different and that the texture would be somewhat similar. However, I once saw a recipe for hummus that used hominy instead for a “gas free” experience, so feel free to experiment if you’re up for it! Let me know how it turns out if you do. 🙂